AusterlitzAusterlitz
Score Modern
What it's about
In a railway station in Antwerp in 1967, the narrator meets Jacques Austerlitz, an architectural historian, and over many years and chance meetings Austerlitz tells him his life story. Raised in Wales by a strict preacher and his wife, he learned only as an adult that he had arrived in Britain as a small boy in 1939, on a children's transport from Prague. He goes in search of his parents.
Why it's worth reading
The New York Times and the Guardian both named it one of the best books of the 21st century. It's a haunting, unforgettable novel about memory and the Holocaust.
You'll love it if you liked
The Years
The Diary of a Young Girl
The Escape ArtistGood to know
It's written in long, winding sentences with almost no paragraph breaks, and includes mysterious photographs. It's slow and hypnotic.
By the numbers
- Readers38 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics91 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller19 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #444 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #855 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking
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Quick answers
Is Austerlitz worth reading?
Yes. The New York Times and the Guardian both named it one of the best books of the 21st century. It ranks #855 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 74.4 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Austerlitz about?
In a railway station in Antwerp in 1967, the narrator meets Jacques Austerlitz, an architectural historian, and over many years and chance meetings Austerlitz tells him his life story. Raised in Wales by a strict preacher and his wife, he learned only as an adult that he had arrived in Britain as a small boy in 1939, on a children's transport from Prague. He goes in search of his parents.
How long does it take to read Austerlitz?
About 10 hours (414 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Austerlitz won?
NBCC Award (Fiction) winner (2001).
What should I read after Austerlitz?
If you liked it, try The Years by Annie Ernaux, The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank or The Escape Artist by Jonathan Freedland.